no tuna salad wrap

When Cat was young, her two favorite meals were Mac n' Cheese and Tuna Salad. Needless to say, veganism saved her from being doomed to eat the same way most American kids eat now days.

While this salad is not tasting of fish in every bite, it is quite delicious and actually better for you than the mercury-filled, over fished 'chicken' of the sea. And while Mikel did not touch tuna with a ten-foot pole, this sandwich he likes, too.

Using chickpeas is great because this legume hold its shape and has a firm texture. I cooked my beans so they can be mashed better, but using canned is fine, too. The texture will be different because canned beans are cooked to just-done whereas I cooked my beans a little over.

I added celery, onions, dill (Mikel asked me to skip on that next time), Old Bay, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Dulse flakes would have been a great addition, but it was too early in the morning for my brain, I guess.

I cooked 1 1/2 c of dry chickpeas for a yield of 3 3/4 c cooked. This amount only needed 1/4 to 1/2 c of veganiase because the beans are creamy themselves.

I wrapped them in spinach and sun-dried tomato tortillas and we went off to kayak. Great picnic food!

Cost Breakdown:

beans: $1

onion, celery, garlic, lemon: $2

wraps: $3

lettuce, tomato, spices: $1.50

Total to make 5 wraps:

$7.50

hungarians beans and sour cream soup

Beans! Beans! I love legumes!

They are totally healthy, totally tasty and wonderfully versatile.

It is important to note that beans do not need to be eaten with a grain at the same meal because "when the diet provides an assortment of plant proteins over the course of a day all amino acids are present in abundance." (Source: 'Becoming Vegan' by Brenda Davis, R.D., Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.) Beyond eating a variety of wonderful plant-based foods, including beans, vegetables, grains and fruits, there is no need to combine grains and beans at one meal, a myth that was made popular

in the book 'Diet for a Small Planet.'

Now you know that you have freedom to cook your beans and eat them too... even without a grain as a tag-along. A little more freedom to be creative with your cooking, I would say!

Tonight's meal was navy beans cooked simply with a few bay leaves and seasoned at the end with paprika and cashew sour cream. I also added some green beans because I have a ton of them.

Very delicious! A nice crusty bread and a green salad would make this an easy great meal. The sour cream adds a delightful tang that everyone enjoyed.

Cost Breakdown:

beans: $2

spices: $.50

cashews: $2

lemon, vinegar, miso: $1

green beans: $1

Total for 10 servings:

$6.50